Low Back Pain

The majority of the population experience low back pain and many go on to suffer from repeated episodes of back pain throughout their lives. It is not fully understood why this happens. It is thought that many of the spine's supporting mechanisms become disturbed as a result of back pain, particularly the spinal muscles, and that these do not automatically recover when the pain subsides. This may result in the spine not working properly, making it very vulnerable to further injury. This study aims to assess the way the muscles attached to the spine work, how they change with training and injury and how the brain controls them. It is proposed that this knowledge will lead to the development of more effective strategies for the management of low back pain. The project is a collaboration between Sensorimotor Systems and Dr Alison McGregor, Division of Surgery